GODS AND MONSTERS , pjo

15 , the smelly god

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
THE SMELLY GOODS

The next afternoon, June 14, seven days before the solstice, our train rolled into Denver. We hadn't eaten since the night before in the dining car, somewhere in Kansas. We hadn't taken a shower since Half-Blood Hill, and I was sure that was obvious.

I mean I could smell Percy from here. He smelled like old salty sewer water.

"Let's try to contact Chiron," Annabeth said. "I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit."

"We can't use phones, right?"

"I'm not talking about phones."

Percy and I shared a confused glance. We seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

We wandered through downtown for about half an hour, though I wasn't sure what Annabeth was looking for. The air was dry and hot, which felt weird after the humidity of St. Louis.

Finally we found an empty do-it-yourself car wash. Why we stopped here? I don't know, but I guess we're gonna find out.

We veered toward the stall farthest from the street, keeping our eyes open for patrol cars. We were five adolescents hanging out at a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts would figure we were up to no good.

"What are we doing?" Percy and I asked in sync, as Grover took out the spray gun.

"It's seventy-five cents," he grumbled. "I've only got two quarters left. Annabeth?"

"Don't look at me," she said. "The dining car wiped me out."

They looked over at me "don't look at me, I'm broke" I held my hands up in defense.

Percy fished out his last bit of change and passed Grover a quarter, which left him two nickels and one drachma from Medusa's place.

"Excellent." Grover said. "We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection isn't as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping."

I am once again confused.

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked.

He fed in the quarters and set the knob to FINE MIST. "I-M'ing."

"Instant messaging?" I thought phones were a no?

"Iris-messaging," Annabeth corrected. "The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, and she's not too busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods."

"You summon the goddess with a spray gun?"

Grover pointed the nozzle in the air and water hissed out in a thick white mist. "Unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow."

Sure enough, late afternoon light filtered through the vapor and broke into colors.

Annabeth held her palm out to Percy. "Drachma, please." He handed it over.

She raised the coin over her head. "O goddess, accept our offering."

She threw the drachma into the rainbow. It disappeared in a golden shimmer.

"Half-Blood Hill," Annabeth requested.

      For a moment, nothing happened.

      Then I was looking through the mist at strawberry fields, and the Long Island Sound in the distance. We seemed to be on the porch of the Big House. Standing with his back to us at the railing was a sandy-haired guy in shorts and an orange tank top. He was holding a bronze sword and seemed to be staring intently at something down in the meadow.